Etymology

mycetoma

M3Y4C3E1T1O1M3A1

Today it means: Chronic subcutaneous inflammation caused by infection with certain bacteria or fungi. Full definition →

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The story

From New Latin of the 19th century; by surface analysis, mycete + -oma; the fact that the word predates 20th century microbiology explains why the use of this name is not specific to mycotic disease: the disease was named for fungal and apparently fungal causes, and its full pathophysiology (and the current taxonomy of the various causative pathogens) was learned later.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.